had been tossed in. “The immortal is dangerous. You have to believe me.”
“I do.” She absolutely believed that Elena had been sent in answer to the candle magic she had performed. Her friend’s spirit had come in response to her plea for knowledge, so what she was saying must be believed. It just didn’t make any sense at all.
She turned on the stool and looked into the room, but her friend wasn’t there. The only thing that met Teresa’s gaze was the plush room that had become her haven in the last couple of days. Quickly, she looked back into the mirror and saw that Elena’s image was still trapped in the glass, but fading fast.
“He wants you, Teresa,” Elena said, the words beginning to slur and weaken. “Not just for the witchcraft, but for …”
Teresa frowned as she missed that last part. What did this mean? He wanted her for what? If this was about sex, then Teresa could assure her friend that that particular ship had already sailed. Pretty impressively, too.
“He’s supposed to want me, Elena. He’s my mate.”
An otherworldly wind snatched at Elena’s short hair and plucked at the hem of her white coat. “Be careful, Teresa. Trust the Eternal, fear the immortal.”
“But—” None of this was making any sense. Rune was both an Eternal and an immortal. And how could she not trust him? Hadn’t he already earned her belief in him by saving her? By beginning the Mating, branding her as his?
“No more time,” her friend said hurriedly. “Spell book. Serena. Find it.”
Irritation and confusion sputtered together inside Teresa. How would Elena know about a spell book? Who was giving her this information? And why?
“Who? Who’s Serena?”
“Find it. Library,” her friend urged frantically as her image faded.
“Elena!”
She was gone.
In a breath, the image was gone and Teresa was alone again. Now the tears fell, and as they did, a cold knot of tension settled behind her breast. What the hell was she supposed to do with this? Who was Serena? And where was this library Teresa was supposed to search? What had Elena meant about trusting the Eternal and not the immortal?
Glaring into the mirror, Teresa muttered, “What the hell kind of help was that? I ask for clarity and knowledge and now I’m more confused than ever. Damn it, Elena, come back! Tell me what you meant!”
Not trust Rune?
Impossible. She did trust him. And he had earned it. He’d saved her ass a couple of times already, hadn’t he? Her gaze dropped again to the lightning tattoo on her breast and she swallowed hard. He was her mate. This relationship was destined. If she couldn’t trust him, why the hell had the mating brand shown up at all? And if he meant her harm, why hadn’t he just left her to die in the village?
Maybe because he needs me to find the Artifact? Maybe he doesn’t want to return it to the witches. Maybe he’s got other plans for it that don’t include me.
“No,” she said, arguing with herself. That idea was ludicrous. He wasn’t interested in anything but completing their quest.
But what if his idea of completion was different from hers? What if he had other plans for that ancient chunk of black silver? The knot inside her tightened until she could hardly draw a breath. There was a cold dread settling in the pit of her stomach, no matter how much she tried to convince herself that Elena’s warning had nothing to do with Rune. Her mate was honorable. She had seen that firsthand. He had been nothing but honest with her since he had shown up out of nowhere to save her ass from the MPs in the helicopter.
Hell, he had been shot saving her.
But why would the gods send Elena to warn her if there was no danger?
“God, how am I supposed to know what to do?” Alone, Teresa felt her mind whirl with the possibilities.
Was Rune the mate and partner he claimed to be? She wasn’t stupid. She knew he was holding something of himself back from her. When he watched her, she could see in his eyes that he didn’t really trust her.
Was that only because of their long, complicated past? Or was it something else? Was he merely biding his time, waiting for the right moment to make his move? And if he was, how could she defend herself against it?
“Damn it.” She had gone into this Mating ritual with her eyes wide open. She had promised